So…..it’s been a while, huh? I won’t stay in this pity party for long, I promise. I mostly just want to say that I miss all of you! Ever since our completely unplugged summer vacation, I’ve had a really hard time getting back into the swing of things. Especially dealing with the computer. But I’m making my way back.

I’ve been cooking! And taking photos! I have a stockpile of recipes, ready to share. Now I’m just working on getting back into the routine of sitting and writing again. And now that our Downton binge-watching session is over, I definitely have more time to devote to these recipes.

Am I the only that’s this late to Downton? And seriously, people. Why didn’t someone make me start watching it before now? I can’t handle the last episode. I just can’t. I’m so ready for the new season to start. That will make the end of college football a little easier on me, knowing that I have new Downton episodes to watch.

Besides being glued to amazon prime for the past month, my other newest addiction (that I know I’ve already mentioned) is still homemade mayo. It is honestly the easiest thing I’ve ever made. And it impresses people….which makes it even nicer that it only takes 60 seconds. Yup, a minute. Less than a minute, actually. I’ve timed it.

I started with this base recipe, but have changed up the oils every time I’ve made it and usually add in some fun spices and herbs.

Since I was making mayo anyway, I figured I should have something to go with it besides celery. Yes, I know how that sounds. And I felt a little weird bringing celery and homemade mayo in as a snack to work, but this mayo is that good. You can certainly eat it on its own, but it’s definitely better when you have something to dip in it.

Until I visited Austin this summer, I had never tried shishito peppers. Actually, I had never even heard of them. When Susan, Meredith, Paula, and I were out to dinner one night, we had some blistered peppers that were served with a lemon goat cheese dip-something-or-other and it was one of the most delicious ways I’ve ever had peppers. I don’t think shishitos are something that we can normally find in small-town Virginia, but lucky for me, I found some just a few weeks after that trip to Austin. And I bought all that I could.

So maybe keep this recipe tucked away until next summer? I should have gotten this out sooner, but it’s worth holding onto either way.

Roasted Shisito Peppers with Smoked Paprika Mayo

Yield:3-4 servings

Prep Time:5 minutes

Cook Time:7 minutes

Total Time:12-15 minutes

The peppers are sweet and smoky and perfectly charred. Drag them through some homemade smoked paprika mayo, and you're in business. Bonus: these make for a perfectly acceptable light dinner. Veggies, healthy fats, it's all there.

Ingredients:

For the peppers:

2 cups shishito peppers

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

For the mayo:

1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. water

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup safflower oil

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

Kosher salt, to taste

Directions:

For the peppers:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the peppers with the olive oil and salt and spread out in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Roast for 4-5 minutes, then flip the peppers over. Cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Check the peppers - if they're beginning to blacken and blister, let them cook 1 more minute, then remove from the oven. If they're not starting to blacken, you can broil them for 1 minute on each side. Remove from the oven when they peppers are mostly charred.

For the mayo:

Put the egg yolk, lemon juice, water, and mustard in a narrow, tall container. I use a wide-mouth canning jar. Pour in the oils on top of the yolk and other ingredients.

Using an immersion blender, process until the mayo starts to form. Start with your immersion blender all the way at the bottom of the jar. Once you start seeing mayo (almost immediately!), slowly start moving the blender around, pulling the oil on top down. Continue until all oil is emulsified. The texture will be thick.

Stir in the smoked paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and salt to taste and store in the refrigerator for up to several weeks.

These remind me of Austin! It was my first time I had ever had a roasted shishito pepper and I think I ate the whole tray… SO GOOD!

Welcome back! I am with you on the Downton thing! I was a bit late on the Downton train, too, but oh, my, goodness! The last episode….ugh! I still don’t want to believe it…
I am also a recent Amazon Prime shopper and I feel like I”m drunk with free shipping power – it’s a real problem! This mayo looks amazing! I’m not a mayo from the jar fan, but I love homemade (although, i’ve never actually made it myself!) Now I need to try – thank you so much for the recipe!